Inflatable cover for lamps and the like



March 25 4.

I. N. MATSUO INFLATABLE COVER FOR LAMPS AND THE LIKE Filed. June '7. 1923 can IcHIRo N. MA'rsUo, or'cI IcAGo, ILLINOIS.

inrLaTA Ln coves ros nelvrrs Ann THE LIKE.

Applicationfiled June 7, 1923. SerialNo. 643,940.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it knownjthat L'Ionmo N. MATSUO, a subject of the Emperoriof Japamresiding-at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inflatable Covers for Lamps and the like, of which the following is a specification.

V This invention relates to improvements in covers or shades for lamps of various'kinds, but particul rly for electric lamps and those used by photographers'in their dark room' work, and also for light producing devices 7 employed for creating flash-lights, and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement and combination of the various partsthereof' as w1ll be .hereinafter more fully set forth and) specifically claimed.

One of the objects of the invention is, the provision of an inflatable semi-transparent.

covering for lamps, which can be easily applied to alamp, or a light producingdevice, so as to entirely encompass the light of either, and which can be inflatedor deflated atijwill, so that the material of which the covering is made may' be caused by inflation,- to become thinner and furtherf from the light and 'by deflation, thicker, and nearer to'the light,

thereby regulating the degreeof'light fur nished through the cover, from a dim light to a brighter or much stronger one, or vice versa. 1

"Another object of the} invention is to pro -V vide a cover which maybe of transparent or f semi-transparent material, but of'such construction as, to enable it'to entirely encompass the-lamp bulb, or light producer, to the end, that it will,to a certain extent, provide protection for the'lamp bulb against breakage, but in the event of such breakage, will hold the pieces of glass produced thereby s'o as to prevent-them beingscattered,-andto the end, that when thecover is applied to a; .lig'htproducen'such as thatused for creat ng v flash lights for photographic purposes, it

will prevent the escapeof' smoke caused by ,the'ignition of the explosive material and will hold it tillfbyf removing the cover from said device it can be discharged therefrom: at anyfsuitable ,point 1 A'f'urther object is provision ofvacover "for lamps which can be fashionedinto dife ferent shapes,'to the end, that an illuminated figure of a desireddelsign or shape may be produced. V v

; Other objects and advantages of the invention will be disclosed from the following descrlption and explanation. V

In the accompanying drawing, which serves to illustrate an embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 isa view in elevation showing the cover applied to an electriclamp of the ordinary type and illustrating by continuous lines one of the positions the lamp cover will occupy when it is almost deflated, and by dotted lines the positions of the lamp cover when more or less inflated. V Fig. :2is a detached central vertical sectional view of the lamp cover.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in elevation and partlyrin section showing a modification in the; shape of the lamp cover, and 1 Fig. 4c is a View in elevation partlyin sec tion of a flash-light producer and a cover for the same embodying another modification in-the' shape of the cover.

Like numerals of reference refer to corresponding: parts throughout the different views of the drawing. r I The referencenumeral '5 designates the lamp cover in one of its forms, which cover may be made of any suitable size, color, and material, but by preference of elastic semitr'ansparent material such as thin rubber or 7 any other elastic'material, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is substantially globular in shape; This globular or bag-like cover is serted, the neck 6 will contract or tighten around the tapered portion" of said bulb in such a way as to" prevent the escape of airand'so'asfto hold the cover 5 securely 9: by means of'whi'ch air can beforced from the-mouth of a person into the cover 5 until thesame is inflated to such an extent as to 'furnishthe; desired degree of light passing through the cover, itbeing understood that when the cover is: in'its contracting form or partially deflatedjcondition, the material thereof will be thicker than if inflated, and

in place; The cover 5 has communicating vtherewith a flexible tube .8, which may be provided at itsfree, end witha mouthpiece that consequently the degree of light furnished through the cover when the same is in its partially deflated condition, at which time it will be nearer the light, that the light furnished through the cover will be dim. By inflating the cover 5, it is manitest that the stretching of the materialout of which it is formed, will cause it to become thinner and located at a greater distance from the light and consequently, a brighter or stronger light will be furnished through the cover.

In Fig. 3 is shown a modification in the shape of the cover, which in this instance is designated by the numeral 5 and maybe in the form of a stocking as shown or of any other suitable design. In this modified construction the cover 5 is provided as in the other construction with a neck 6 through which the lamp'bulb 7 may be extended into the body of the cover 5 which may be of any desired design, that of a stocking being shown merely as an example. This modified form of the cover is also equipped with a flexible tube 8 having a mouth piece 9 to be used for inflating and deflating the cover. 7

In Fig. 4 I have shown the cover in still another modified form and as being applied to a. light producing device designated as a whole by the numeral 10 which may be of the ordinary or any well known construction. In the present form of this light -producer, a basin 11, for holding flashlight powder is shown as being supported on the upper end of a suitable sup-port 12, the upper end of which support is slightly reduced, as shown. Electric conductors 13 extended through the support 12 into the basin 11 provide means for operating the spark plug located in said basin tor the purpose of igniting flash powder therein.

In the modification now under consideration, the cover is designated by the reference numeral 5 and as in the other constructions has a neck 6 through which the basinll may be extended into the cover 5" and which neck is adapted to fit snugly around the reduced portion of the support 12 for said basin. The cover 5 is provided with a flexible tube 8 having a mouth piece 9 to be used for inflating the cover 5 in a like manner to that above explained with reference to the constructions shown in Figs. 1 and 3 inclusive. The cover of the media fied form shownin Fig. lbeing more especially employed to catch and hold the smoke'created by'the ignition of the fiashlight powder within the basin, is by preference of transparent elastic material so that but little, if any, diminution in the brilliancy or strength of the light produced by the ignition of the powder within the basin 11 will be effected. The elasticity of the material out of which the cover 5 is made will prevent bursting of the cover, and it is manifest that the smoke emanating from the powder will be held in the cover and escape prevented. If desired, thccover 5 may be removedirom the upright'12, the

neck 6 and tube 8 closed, when it is obvious that the smoke may be discharged from the cover at a desired point. After: the cover of either construction has been suitably inflated or deflated, it is apparent that it can be maintained in such position bysimply closing the tube 8 or tyinga knot in the same as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

By my improvements I have provided a very simple and eliicient means for use by photographers in dark room work, for it is obvious that by using a cover 5 of elastic and semi-transparent material of a red color,

the degree of light furnished through said cover can be regulated from a very dim light to one of very muchgreater strength or brilliancy yet the red color necessary in such rooms will be maintained. Of course, the covers may. be of any color that may be de sired for other purposes.

'V hile the inflatable cover 15 shown in, the different views of the drawings in a more or less distended condition by reason of being partially inflated, yet it will be understood that when theair pressure within the body or cover is practically the's'ame as atmospheric pressure, the cover will assume a more bag-like shape.

Having thus fully described by invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the class described, consisting of an inflatable bag-like body made 7 l ing a reinforced tapered neck portion adapted topermit the lamp bulb tobe extended. into the covering and; to engage said'lamp bulb, and a flexible tube having com-munication at one of its ends'with the interior of the covering.

v IC'HIRO N". MATSUOL 

